Drum brake



March 26, 1940. Q Q FARMER 2,194,745

DRUII BRAKE Filed Nov. 19. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (U N INVENTOR YOLYDEQFARMER ATTORNEY March 26, 1940. c. c. FARMER DRUM BRAKE Filed Nov. 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -Patented Mar.26, 1940 a t L "2 194J45 t 25 clasp brake rigging of the above mentioned type tending brake beams l5, l6, Hand [8 which are 25;

130 1 Other objects and advantages will appearin the to provide clearance spaces between their ends 30 UNITED STATES, PATENT FF1 DRUM BRAKE Clyde C. Farmer, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor to The Westinghouse Air :Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 19, 1938, Serial No. 241,4os

16 Claims. (01. 1ss s This invention relates to brake rigging for railwhich may be secured to the underside of the way vehicle trucks and more particularly to clasp center sill construction 1 of the vehicle body. brake rigging of the drum type in which brake The truck frame may be carriedin the usual shoes and brake beams are arranged on both sides manner y p e Wheel and 81x16 s b ies 8 I 5 of a pair of brake drums secured to each wheel and 9. Eac o these a es o pr ses later'- 5 i and axle assembly of the truck for rotation with .ally spaced wheels H] which are rigidly securedto th axle, y an axle l i, and further comprises laterally spaced The principal object of the invention is to probrake drums l2 which are secured to the axle for vide an improved brake rigging of the above menrotation therewith and which are arranged one tioned type having vertically disposed brake beam adjacent each wheeLthere being sufiicient :space 10 I actuating brake levers arranged between the provided between each drum and the adjacent brake drums and the wheels of the wheel and inner surface of the wheel to accommodate a axle assemblies where they will be well protected portion of the brake rigging as will hereinafter against damage by'contact with objects suchas more fully appear. I i

stones, dirt, timbers or the like lying alongthe The center sill l of the vehicle body maybe- 15 I track rails. y y ofv any desired construction and for; illustrative Another object of the invention is to provide purposes is showni n dot and dash lines inFig/l a. brake rigging of the above mentioned type as being of the box girdertype comprisinga; pair having the brake shoes of less width thanthe of spaced longitudinally extending channels" 1 2O braking surface of the brake drum soarranged which are connected together by top and bottom {i on each side of the drum that their frictional cover plates l3 and M, respectively, whichare braking faces will insure even wear of the braksecured to the respective top and bottom flanges ing. surface throughout its entire width. x I i of the channels. l

Another object of the invention is to provide a The brake rigging comprises transversely exhaving the dead end of the rigging fulcrumed to located a short distance below the horizontal cen the vehicle body, so asto eliminate as far as poster lines of the wheel and axle assemblies 8 and 9 sible the tendency of the mechanism to pull the and are of less length than the distance between vehicle truck out from under the vehicle body, the inner surfaces of each pair of wheels ll) so as following more detailed description of the inand the wheels. v t v vention. i i g y The brake beams l 5 and i6 are arranged one In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan on each side of the assembly 8 and the beams ll view of a railway vehicle truck embodying the and 18 are arranged one on each side of the ',invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View assembly 9. y y i of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. Each end of the brake beam [5 has rigidly se- 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken cured thereto a bracket havingspaced lugs 20 on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a'fragmentary between which the lower end of a vertically disend elevational View of a portion of the mechaposed hanger lever 2i extends and'to which this nism and illustratingthe manner of fulcruming end of the lever is pe a ve y connected by 40 the dead end of the brake riggingtothe center means of P The uppe e d of the lever sin of a Vehicle; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary ma extends between spaced lugs 23: which are carried view of a modification of the brake shoe arrangeby truck frsfme and Whmh thls end t ment lever is operatively connected by means of a i 24.x 45 As shown in the accompanying drawings the pm v I w may be of Sees-en; norms or; are prising spaced side frames I which are Intei between which the lower end of a vertically disat lbl by m l i ex en posed brake lever 26 extends and to which this mg end pieces and mtermedlate their ends by end of the lever is operatively connected-by means spaced transversely extending transoms 3, the of a pin 21 Each end of this brake beam space between the transoms being provlded for supported by a hanger 2 which is pivotally m. the accommodation of the usual truck bolster 4 nected t t upper end to spaced lugs ggccarried which carries a truck center plate 5 upon which by one of the transoms 3 and which is pivotally is adapted to rest the usual body center plate connectedat its lower end to the lugs 25.. 55;

The levers 2i and 25 at each side of the truck are cperatively connected to each other intermediate their ends through the medium of a longitudinally extending connector 33 which is located above the axle of the assembly and within the space between a wheel and the adjacent brake drum I2.

The brake beams I? and !8 associated with the wheel and assembly 9 are supported from truckframe in identically the same manner as the brake beams l5 and I6 and are opera-l tively connected to the same arrangement of brake levers. The same reference characters might be used for both sets of levers but to avoid confusion the hanger levers for the brake beam" Iii andthe vertically disposed levers for thebrake earn E! are indicated by the reference characters 3i and 32, respectively, while the connectors through the medium which these levers are operatively connected together are each indicated by the reference character 33.

Secured to each. brake beam. I5, I6, II and I8 are two. brake elements St for frictional braking engagement with the peripheral braking surface ofxa brakedrum which elements are spaced apart longitudinally of the-respective beam. The brake elementson the brake beams I5 and It are so arranged'thatwhen.an application of the brakes is being effected they will frictionally engage certain portions of the width of the braking surfaces of therespective brake drums, while the brake elements on the brakebeams It and I! are so arranged that they will frictionally engage the remaining portions of the braking surfaces of the drums. In other words the brake elements on each end of the brake beams I5 and I5 and of the brake beams Ill and it are arranged in staggered relation to each other. By reason of this arrangement, even wear of the braking surface of each brake drum is insured.

The upper end of each of the vertically disposed levers 25 is operatively connected to the outer end of a horizontally disposed lever 35 through the medium of a longitudinally extending link 36 which lever 35 is operatively connected at its outer end to the inner end of a longitudinally extending pull rod 3?. The outer end of this pull rod is operatively connected to one end of a horizontally disposed equalizer lever 33 whichis connected intermediate its ends to the inner end of a pull rod 33 through the medium of which braking power is applied tothe equalizing lever and thereby to the associated brake rigging parts.

The upper end of each of the vertically disposed brake levers 32 is operatively connected to the outer end of a horizontally disposed lever ll] through the medium of a longitudinally extending link ii, which lever it at its opposite end is operatively connected to the inner end of a tension rod 52. The outer end of this tension rod is operatively connected to one end of a horizontally disposed equalizer lever 33 which is fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a vertically disposed pin 64% carried by a fulcrum plated5 rigidly secured to the underside of the center sill I of the vehicle body.

'Ihehorizontally disposed levers 35 and 40 at each side of the longitudinal center line of the truck are operatively connected together intermediate their ends by a longitudinally extending tension rod #36.

From the foregoing description it will be seen thatthere is a system of connected brake levers and rods at each side of the truck for actuating the. brake beams i5; it, It and I8 to cause the brake shoes carried thereby to frictionally engage the peripheral braking surfaces of the brake drums l2, and that these systems are operatively connected together at their live ends by the equalizer lever 38 and at their dead ends are operatively connected together by the fulcrum or dead lever 43.

It will also be seen that by fulcruming the dead end of both systems of levers and rods on the center sill of the Vehicle body the tendency of thebrake rigging to pull the truck frame out from under the vehicle body will be substantially wholly eliminated.

In operation, power applied to the pull rod 39 will cause the equalizer lever 38 to move to the leftas viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, thus rotating the horizontally disposed leversv 35 about their pivotal connections with the tension rods 45, so as to rotate the vertically disposed brake levers 2B in a clockwise direction about their pivotal connections with the connectors 36. The levers 26 as they are thus-actuated move the brake beam I5 and associated brake elements in a direction toward the lefthand causing the brake elements to frictionally engage the braking surfaces of the brake drums. When the brake elements engage the brake drums the pins 22 connecting the lower ends of the levers to the brake beam serve as fulcrums for the levers, so that as power continues to be applied to the levers, the levers rock in a clockwise direction about the pins and pull the connectors 38 in a direction toward the right hand; causing the deadlevers 2| to rock in a counterclockwise direction about their fulcrum pins 24 and thereby move the brake beam I5 so as to bring the brake elements carried by the beam into frictional braking engagement with the brake drums I2 of the wheel and axle assembly 8.

When the. brake elements have thus been moved into braking engagement with opposite sides of the brake drums I2 of the wheel and axle assembly 8. the continuedmovement of the equalizing lever 33 to the left causes the horizontally disposed levers 35 to-rotate about their pivotal connections at their outer ends. These levers as they are thus moved act through the medium of the tension rods d5'to cause the horizontally disposed levers Iii to rotate about their fulcrumed inner ends. The levers was they are thus actuated cause the vertically disposed levers 3i and 32 to operate to move the respective brake beains I8 and I? toward each other so as to bring the brake elements-carried by these beams into frictional braking engagement with the brake drums I2 of the wheel and axle assembly.

Description of arrangement shown in Fig. 5

In Fig. 5 a modified brake drum and brake shoe arrangement for one wheel and axle assembly is illustratedin connection with a pair of brake drumsi2 .and a .pair of brake beams such for instance as beains I5 and It; In this arrangement each end of each brake beam. is provided with a single brake shoefiil instead of with two brake shoes as .showainFigs. 1 to 3. The shoes at the same vend of thebrake beams I5 and I6 are arranged in staggered relationship with each other longitudinally of. the beams and. are each of such a width that they will engage the full width of the friction braking face of the respective drum and thereby insu e even wear of the face over its full width.

While one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been describedin detail, it is not my intention to limit its scope tothat embodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a brake rigging for railway trucks, in combination, a truck frame supporting wheel and axle assembly, a brake drum secured to the axle of said assembly for rotation therewith, said drum being spaced a short distance from a wheel of the assembly, brake elements disposed in clasp arrangementabout said brake drum and movable into frictional braking engagement with said drum, a system of levers and rods disposed in the space between said drum and wheel operative for actuating said brake elements, and means for actuating said system of levers and rods.

2. In a brake rigging for railway trucks, in combination, a truck frame supporting wheel and axle assembly, a brake drum secured to the axle ofsaid assembly for rotation therewith, said drum being spaced a short distance from a wheel of the assembly, brake elements disposed in clasp arrangement about said brake drum and movable into frictional braking engagement with said drum, a vertically disposed hanger lever pivotally connected at its upper end to the truck frame and extending into the space between said drum and wheel, said lever being operative to actuate the brake elements at one side of the drum into frictional braking engagement with the drum, a tension member'disposed in the space between said drum and wheel and movable longitudinally for actuating said lever, a vertically disposed live lever extending into the space between said drum and wheel and operative to actuate said tension member and to actuate the brake eleand axle assembly, a braking surface rotatable with said assembly, a brake element at each of two opposite sides of said braking surface and movable into braking engagement with the braking surface, each brake element being of less width than the braking surface and both elements being arranged in staggered relationship to each other to insure uniform wear of the braking surfaceover its full width, and means for actuating said brake elements.

4. In a brake rigging for railway trucks, in combination, a truck frame supporting wheel and axle assembly, a braking surface rotatable with said assembly, a brake element at one side of said braking surface and being movable into braking engagement with the braking surface, another brake element at the opposite side of said braking surface and being movable into braking engagement with the braking surface, each brake element being of less width than the drum and both elements being arranged in staggered relationship to each other to insure uniform wear of the braking surface over itsfull width,

and means for actuating the brake elements.

5. In a brake rigging for railway trucks, in combination, a truck frame supporting wheel and axle assembly, a braking surface rotatable with said assembly, a brake element at one side of said braking surface being adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the width of said braking surface, another brake element at the opposite side of-said braking surface being adapted to frictionally engage the remaining portion of the width of said braking surface, and meansfor moving said elements into frictional engagement with said braking surface.

6. In a brake rigging for railway trucks, in

combination, a truck frame supporting wheel and axle assembly, a brakedrum secured to the axle ofsaid assembly for rotation therewith, a brake beam at each of two opposite sides of said brake drum," a brake elementof less width than the braking surface of the drum carried by each brake beam and movable by the beam into braking engagement with said braking surface, the

brake element on one brake beam beingstaggered with relation to the brake element on the other brake beam so'that each element engages the portion of the braking surface of the drum not engaged by the other element to insure uni axle of said assembly for rotation. therewith, a

brake beam at each of two opposite sides of said brake drum, a plurality of spacedbrake elements carried by each brake beam and movable by the beam into braking engagement with the braking surfaceof the drum, the brake elements on. one

brake beam being staggered in the direction of the length of the beam with relation to the brake elements on.v the otherbrake beam to insure the engagement of the braking surface of the brake drum over its full width, and means for actuating said brake beams. I

8. In a brakeIrigging for railway trucks, in combination, a truck frame supporting Wheel, and

axle assembly, a braking surface rotatable with said assembly, laterally spaced brake elements at each of two opposite sides of saidbralring surface and movable into braking engagement withthe braking surface, the brake elements at one sidebeing staggered laterally of the braking surface with relation to the brake elements at the other side, and means for actuating all of the brake elements.

9.In a brake rigging for railway trucks, in combination, a truck frame supporting wheel an'd axle assembly, two brake drums secured to the axle of said assembly for rotation therewith, said assembly and arranged one adjacent each of said wheels, two brake beams arranged oneat' eachuof the opposite sides of the brake drums tive brake beam, the space between the brake elements of each pair on each brake beam being substantially equal and the pairs of elementson one beam being spaced apart a greater distance than the pairs of elements on the other beam, and means for actuating both of said brake beams.

10. In a brake rigging for railway trucks, in combination, a truck frame supporting wheel and axle assembly, two brake drums secureduto drums being located'between the wheels of the I l the axle of said assembly for rotation therewith,

said brake beams terminating at each end short of the adjacent wheel, a pair of brakeelements secured to each end portion of each brake beamand adapted to be moved by the beam into braking engagement with'the braking surfaces of said brake drums, the brake elements of each pair being spaced apart longitudinally of the respective brake beam and the pairs of brake elements being spaced apart longitudinally of the respective brake beam, the space between the brake elements of each pair on each brake located at one side of the drum and being of less width than said braking surface, another brake element located at the opposite side of the drum and being of less width than said brake ing surface, said brake elements being movable into braking engagement with the said braking surface and being staggered with relation to each other laterally of the braking surface to insure uniform wear of the braking surface for its "full width.

12. The combination of a brake drum having a peripheral braking surface, a plurality of spaced brake elements located .at one side of said drum and movable into braking engagement with said braking surface for a portion of its width and 40. a at the opposite side of said drum and movable a plurality of spaced brake. elements located into braking engagement with said braking surface, for the portions of its width not engaged by the first mentioned braking elements.

13. The combination of a brake drum'having a peripheral braking surface; and a pair of spaced brake elements at each of opposite sides of said drum and movable into braking engagement with said braking surface, said pairs of brake elesnents being offset from each other laterally of the drum to insure engagement by one of said pairs of elements of the portions of the drum not engaged by the other of said pairs of elements.

14. In a brake rigging for railway vehicle trucks having a plurality of supporting wheel said drums being located between thewheels. of the assembly and arranged one adjacent each; of said wheels, two brake beams arranged one at each of the opposite sides of the brake drums @and extending longitudinally. of the assembly,

and axle assemblies, a pair of'brake drumsse cured to the axle of each assembly, brake elements operative into frictional braking engagement with opposite sides of said drums, brake beams for actuating said elements, two sets of operatively connected levers and rods for actuating said brake beams, and arranged one set at each side of the longitudinal center line of the truck, a floating equalizer power lever located at one side of the transverse center line of the truck and operatively connected to said sets, an equalizer dead lever fulcrumed at the other side of the transverse center. line of the truck to the bodyof the vehicle and operatively connected to said sets, and means .for actuating said floating lever.

15. In a brake rigging for railway vehicle trucks having a plurality of supporting wheeland axle assemblies, a pair of brake drums secured to the axle of each assembly, brake elements operative into frictional braking engagement with opposite sides-of said drums, brake beams for actuating said elements, two sets of operatively connected levers and rods for actuating said brake beams and arranged one set at each side of the longitudinal center lines of the truck, a floating equalizer power lever located at one side of the transverse center line of the truck and operatively connected to said sets, an equalizer dead lever fulcrumed at the other side of the transverse center line of the truck to the body of the vehicle and operatively connected to said sets, and means for actuating said floating lever, all of the rods of each of said sets being tension rods,

16. In a brake rigging for railway vehicle trucks having a plurality of supporting wheel and axle assemblies, a pair of brake drums secured to the axle of each assembly, brake elements operative into frictional braking engagement with opposite sides of said drums, means for actuating said elements, two sets of opera tively connected levers and rods for actuating said means and arranged one set at each side 

